Machine for abrading shoe parts



Jan, 17,1950 N. H. KNOWLTON MACHINE FOR ABRADING SHOE PARTS Filed July17, 1947 l 11 Dental" Norduzmd HKHOwHOn Patented Jan. 17, 1950 MACHINEFOR ABRADING SHOE PARTS Norwood H. Knowlton, Rockport, Mass, assignor toUnited Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of NewJersey Application July 17, 1947, Serial No. 761,498

1 Claim.

This invention relates to abrading machines and is herein disclosed asembodied in a machine suitable for buffing work pieces of sheet materialsuch as shoe soles or similar articles. Machines of this type arecommonly provided with brushes for removing dust which has been raisedupon the surface of the work piece by the buffing roll.

It is an object of the present invention 'to provide an improved machineof the type under consideration. In accordance with this object afeature of the illustrated machine consists in the provision of a feedroll for holding the Work piece in contact with the buffing roll and asecond feed roll for holding the work piece in contact with the brush,the second feed roll being capable of engaging the leading end of thework piece before the trailing end has passed the first feed roll. Asshown herein, separate throat plates are provided for cooperating withthe feed rolls for controlling the feed of the work piece through themachine. The fact that the second-mentioned feed roll with its throatplate controls the feed of the work piece in the vicinity of the brushmakes it practicable to rotate the brush in a direction opposed to thefeed of the work and thereby obtain a more effective cleaning actionthan could be had by rotating the brush in the direction of feed. Thebuffing roll with its feed roll and the brush with its feed roll arespaced close to render the machine compact, these members being alsoarranged in such way as to avoid bending the work piece in its passagethrough the machine.

This and other features of the invention will appear more fully from thefollowing detailed description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the appended claim.

The single figure of the drawing is a sectional view in side elevationshowing passage .of a work piece through an illustrative machine.

The operating instrumentalities of the machine herein illustratedcomprise a buffing or .abrading roll II] for buffing the tread surfaceof a sole S, a rotary brush l2 for removing dust from the tread surfaceof the sole, a feed roll 14 for pressing the sole against the buffingmil 1 l1, and a feed roll it for pressing the sole against the brush it.The buffing roll LU, the brush I2, and the feed rolls i4 and IL6 allhave their axes parallel. Cooperating with the feed roll 14 is a throatplate It and cooperating with the feed roll I6 is a throat plate 28.Positioned between the feed rolls it and L6 is a work guide 22 in theform of a rectangular bar having one of its edges beveled to provide asupport for the sole between the rolls This guide 22 helps the feed roll14 to hold a sole, however flexible, against the buffing roll H] bypreventing sagging of that portion of the sole which has passed the feedroll. The machine is provided also with a work table 2 3 for theconvenience of the operator in presenting soles to the machine. At eachend of the table 24 is a guide member 26 to prevent the presentation ofwork pieces in such a manner as to overlap the ends of the severalrotary members above mentioned.

The supporting structure of the machine consists of a frame 28 adaptedto rest upon the floor. Each end of the work table 2i is supported by abracket 29 secured to the frame 28.

The buffing roll Ill may conveniently be a roll of the type disclosed inUnited States Letters Patent No. 2,218,538, granted October 22, 1940,upon my application. This roll is mounted upon a shaft 36 which isjournaled in suitable bearings provided in the frame 28. V

The feed roll I4 consists of a metal core 32 upon which is secured aresilient cushion M which may be composed of rubber or like material andthe roll I6 is constructed in the same manner. This feed roll I4 ismounted upon a shaft 36 journaled in hearings on the forward end of aU-shaped carrier bracket 38 which consists of a pair of parallel armsextending forwardly and rearwardly of the machine and connected byintegral cross pieces .39. The rear end of the carrier .38 is pivotallymounted upon fulcrum pins 40 for heightwise swinging movement about anaxis parallel to that of the feed roll M. Each of the pins 41) issecured in a block 42 which is clamped to the under surface of ahorizontal portion of the frame 28 by a screw M passing down through anover-size hole (to permit accurate adjustment) in the frame and threadedinto the block. The guide 2.2 is secured at its end portions to thecarrier 38.

The throat plate 18 is supported upon a downwardly and rearwardlyinclined upper surface of across bar 43 and is slidingly keyed to thecross bar for adjustment in a direction almost tangent to the buffingroll ill. Such tangential adjustment of the throat plate 131s effectedby turning an adjusting screw to threaded into the midportion of thecross bar it and having a knurled head .52, the screw 5! having also anintegral collar 5.4 which engages .a notch in the throat plate. Thethroat plate i3 is secured in adjusted position on the cross bar 43 bythree clamping screws .55, one of which appears on the drawing. The

cross bar 48 at each of its ends, is bolted to horizontal portions ofthe frame 28 with. provision for forward and rearward adjustment of thecross bar to determine the clearance between the throat plate I 8 andthe bufiing roll I0. The rear and lower edge of the throat plate I8 isbeveled to provide a horizontal under surface extending close to thebite of the buffing roll I and the feed roll I4 and engageable with thetread surface (which is uppermost) of the sole S.

Pivotally connected at their upper ends to th carrier 38 adjacent to theends of the feed roll I4 are a pair of rods 56, the lower end portionsof which slide freely through guide holes formed in brackets 58 securedto the frame 28. A coil compression spring 60 surrounding each of therods 56 has its lower end bearing against its associated bracket 58 andits upper end bearing against a collar 02 which is adjustably secured bya set screw 04 to the rod 56. The springs 60 act upon the carrier 30 tourge the feed roll I4 toward the bllffillg roll 60 and the upwardpressure thus derived from these springs holds the sole S against thebeveled under surface of the throat plate I8 and also against thebuffing roll I0. The throat plate I8 serves not only to enable the feedroll It to control the feed of the sole by holding it back against thetendency of the rapidly rotating bufiing roll to feed it at excessivespeed but it also insures the flat presentation of the tread surface ofthe sole to the buffing roll regardless of transverse irregularities ofthickness of the sole. In order to prevent the feed roll 54 fromengaging the throat plate I8 of the buffing roll I0 in the absence of aWork piece, there is provided a stop screw 05 threaded through a lu 68extending from the carrier 38. The upper end of the screw 66 bearsagainst a suitable abutment provided on the frame 28 and the lower endis in the form of a winged head I0 to facilitate turning. A compressionspring I2 surrounding the shank of the screw 66 and interposed betweenthe head and the lug 68 holds the screw 66 in adjusted position andprevents undesired turning. In the illustrated machine such a stop screw66, as above described, is provided on the carrier 38 adjacent to eachend of the feed roll M.

The feed roll I0 is similar to the feed roll I4 and is mounted upon ashaft M which is journaled at its ends in bearings on a carrier bracketI6 having its forwardly and rearwardly extending arms connected by anintegral cross piece TI. The carrier I6 is pivotally mounted forheightwise swinging movement upon fulcrum pins 78 secured in blocks 80to enable the feed roll I0 to move toward and from the brush I2, themounting of the carrier if) being similar to that of the carrier 38. Thefulcrum pins I0 are positioned rearwardly of the abrading roll I0 andthe brush I2, and the fulcrum pins 00 are positioned rearwardly of thefulcrum pins I8. The throat plate is similar to the throat plate I8except for the fact that it is supported at each of its ends on bracketsI0 secured; with provision for heightwise adjustment, to the frame 28.Pivotally connected at their upper ends to the carrier I0 adjacent tothe ends of the feed roll I0 are a pair of rods 32, the lower endportions of which slidably engage suitable holes formed in the brackets58. Surrounding each of the rods 82 is a coil compression spring 80, thelower end of which bears against the associated bracket 50 and the upperend of which bears against a collar 85 adjustably secured on the rod 82.The springs 84 yieldingly act upon the bracket I6 to urge the roll I6toward the brush I2 and the throat plate 20. Excessive upward movementof the roll I6, in the absence of the work piece, is prevented by a stopnut 88 threaded upon the lower end portion of the rod 82 and bearingagainst the under surface of the bracket 58.

As shown in the drawing, the U-shaped bracket 38 extends down from itsfulcrum pins 40, then forward beneath the bracket I6 and the feed rollI6, and then up to support the feed roll I4 on substantially the samelevel as the feed roll I6. embracing the bracket I6 and the feed roll I6without touchin either of them. The fulcrums of both brackets 38 and I6are spaced close to each other and are both positioned rearwardly of thelocality of operation. Because of its shape and arrangement, the bracket38 clears the bracket I6 and the feed roll I6 without interferencetherewith and enables both feed rolls I4 and I6 to approach toward andyield from the bufiing roll I0 and the brush I2 independently of eachother. Furthermore, this arrangement of the brackets 38 and I6 not onlymakes for compactness of the machine structure, but it also enables thefeed rolls I4 and I6 to be spaced close enough to each other to insureat least one of them being in engagement with the sole at all times.

The bufling roll I0 and the brush I2 are covered by a suction dust hood90 having a hinged forward portion which may be raised to provide accessto the parts which it normally covers.

An inclined chute 94 is provided for delivering the treated Work piecesto a position convenient for removal by the operator. The forward andlower end of the chute 04 rests upon a bar 96 which is supported by theframe 28. The rear and upper end of the chute 94 is adjustably clampedto the lower end of a pair of bars 98, the upper ends of which areclamped with provision for pivotal adjustment by screws I00 tostationary portions of the frame 28.

The drive of the machine is effected through a countershaft I02 drivenby any suitable source of power. A belt I04 running over a pulley on thecountershaft I02 drives a pulley I05 having grooves of variousdiameters. The pulley I05 is journaled upon a stud I06 carried by abracket I03. A clamping screw IIO secures the bracket I03 to a side wallof the frame 28. The pulley I05, through a belt I I2, drives the bufiingroll I0 at high speed in the direction of feed of the work. It also,through a crossed belt III, drives the brush I2 in a direction opposedto the feed of the work, thereby throwing the raised dust away from thecleaned portion of the work piece. Th directions of rotation of thebuffing roll I0 and the brush I2 are indicated by arrows on the drawing.

The countershaft I02 also, through a crossed belt H6 running oversuitable pulleys, drives a shaft H3 connected to a set of reductiongears which are contained within a casing I20. These reduction gears,through a sprocket I22 and chain I24, drive a sprocket on the feed rollshaft 30 at a speed considerably below that of the buffing roll I0.

The supporting bracket I08 is provided with a longitudinal slot I28 topermit lengthwise adjustment of the bracket for tightening the belt II4. This bracket further may be swung pivotally about the clamping screwH0, when the latter has been loosened, to tighten the belt I04. Suchpivotal adjustment of the bracket I08 is facilitated by a screw I30connected at its lower end to the bracket I08 and passing up through ablock I32 pivotally mounted upon a bracket I34 secured upon a side wallof the frame 28. A Winged nut I39 on the screw I30 enables the operatorto draw the bracket I08 up and thereby to obtain the desired tension inthe belt I04.

The feed roll I6 is driven from the shaft 36 in the same direction andat the same speed as the feed roll I 4 by a chain and suitable sprocketwheels (not shown). The direction of rotation of the feed wheels isindicated by arrows on the drawing.

The buffing roll II] of the illustrated machine is preferablyreciprocated axially by mechanism similar to that disclosed in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 1,157,725, granted October 26, 1915, upon theapplication of William A. Reed and James Foley, the reciprocatingmechanism of the machine herein shown being operated through aconnecting rod I38 driven by an eccentric I 40 on the countershaft I02.

In the operation of the machine, the sole S is placed upon the worktable 24 and advanced by hand until the feed roll I4 engages its leadingend to feed it past the buffing roll I0 and over the guide 22. The workpiece, thus supported by the guide 22, advances in the same planeWithout bending or flexing until its leading end is engaged by the feedroll IS. The spacing of the feed rolls I4 and I6 is considerably lessthan the length of the shortest sole to be treated with the result thatfrom the time the leading end of the sole engages the feed roll M to thetime that the trailin end of the sole passes the feed roll I6, the feedof the sole is controlled by one or both of the feed rolls. The spacebetween the buffing roll I0 and the brush I2, while small, is sufficientto permit the oppositely rotating roll and brush to generate a strong updraft which carries up the dust raised by the brush and delivers it intothe current of air flowing through the suction hood 90. After the buriedand cleaned sole has passed beyond the control of the feed roll I6, itfalls upon the chute 94 from which it drops into a suitable receptacle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a machine for abrading sheet material, a driven abrading roll, adriven feed roll arranged to press a work piece of sheet materialagainst the abrading roll, a swinging bracket on which the feed roll iscarried, a pivotal mounting on which the bracket is fulcrumed, springmeans acting on the bracket to urge the feed roll toward the abradingroll, a driven rotary brush positioned rearwardly of the abrading rolland arranged to engage a face of the work piece, a second driven feedroll arranged to press the Work piece against the brush, a swingingbracket on which the second-mentioned feed roll is carried,

a pivotal mounting on which the second-mentioned bracket is fulcrumed,and sprin means acting on the second-mentioned bracket to urge thesecond-mentioned feed roll toward the brush, the second-mentionedpivotal mountin being positioned rearwardly of the brush and thefirstmentioned pivotal mounting being positioned rearwardly of thesecond-mentioned pivotal mounting, and the first-mentioned bracket beingU-shaped to enable it to pass under and thereby clear thesecond-mentioned bracket and the second-mentioned feed roll to insureindependent action of the feed rolls.

NORWOOD H. KNOWLTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,168,514 Lane Jan. 18, 19161,648,040 Bliss Nov. 8, 1927 1,952,634 Spry Mar. 27, 1934 2,170,901Jorgensen Aug. 29, 1939 2,295,695 Stacey Sept. 1.5, 1942

